FF-MP-A Lil Bit Of Romance-P19/Pg68 29/10 - Page 51

Originally posted by: MichiDespo

what ever she have ti update LCMD first...so many r demanding the update of that.

Originally posted by: Shachi-Michi

pan where are u dear ????

plz update both the FFs

also u r not replying 2 my PM😕

Originally posted by: DJKM

wow jus read up all da partz n dis is an amazin ff

Originally posted by: $weet Ema

Its been a month since last update..😳

Originally posted by: panache

Will update...😉

Originally posted by: jinc118

WHEN???????????????????????

PART - 19

The weather was unsual today. Rain clouds threatened to soak the city and it completely reflected Prachi's turbulence and mind. She watched the clouds as they rolled across the sky. Tears stained her cheeks as she hailed the first auto rickshaw. Prachi was about to get it into it when she realized that someone was pulling her back and stopping her from boarding the only means of escape. Prachi's tear drenched eyes turned around with anger and pain expecting to see Milind there. A part of her still hoped that Milind would follow her and stop her from leaving. But prachi stood shocked and numbed to the bones, seeing the person who had stopped her. Something that was truly fragile died inside her at that moment.

Mallika pushed a non-existent strand behind her ears as she looked at the girl from the corner of her eyes. This girl was beautiful and she also had a fragile ethereal quality to her and Mallika with her worldly experience knew that Milind was very deeply entangled with this girl. From the tears she had seen in the girl's eyes she knew that she was deeply in love with Milind.

Dammit! I should not let this girl get anywhere near Milind ever again she thought with an evil smirk on her face. But she looked at Prachi and with saccharine sweetness she talked to her.

"Sorry! I did not get your name in there? I hope you don't think badly of me but I just wanted to talk to you and make sure that you were alright." Mallika said all sympathetic towards prachi's plight.

Prachi hiccupped and answered Mallika in a soft voice "Prachi…" Her hands started fiddling with the dupatta as she got nervous talking to Mallika.

Mallika was ultra modern in her dress up and even the way she talked, Prachi could see the contrast between Mallika and her. Mallika was modern, confident and extremely good looking in her own way just like Milind and that thought struck her even more than the beauty that was evident in Mallika. Even the sari that was draped on her was ultra feminine and see through as though it would fall of her shoulders any minute if she took a single step in the wrong direction.

"Prachi, I am sorry that you had to go through that, with Milind! Milind is a great guy and women are always falling for him. I suppose you understood his kindness and his inherent good nature for something else! But you see Milind and I are engaged and we are planning on getting married at the end of the year. I don't know what happened between the both of you but I am really sorry on his behalf and I am pretty sure he is very upset too for hurting you this way albeit unintentionally" Mallika said with crocodile tears and false sympathy. She did not care that she had just brought everything crashing down for Prachi. Nor did she care that she had lied about relationship with Milind.. If not today, she was sure that she would get him in her life tomorrow. Between that time she just did not want anybody else to interfere including this girl who was standing in front of her.

Everything that had transpired between Milind and her swirled around in her head. How was she going to tell this woman that he was the one who had hunted her till she had given in??? Finally who was she to disillusion this woman who had such a high regard for Milind. She did not think so. After all Mallika was engaged to him. why spoil her life with the truth!! Deciding that keeping quiet was the best thing Prachi tried to bring her wavered thoughts back together so that she could listen to her.

"You might be wondering where I have been all this time. Well, I was in New York with my dad working on a deal. And just got back into town and found out that Milind had met with an accident!" she said giving an explanation that was surely not needed. Mallika knew how woman like Prachi operated and she wanted to make sure that Prachi never met Milind ever again after this day!

"I was shocked and I immediately came here to be by his side…" She said as her hands went across prachi's shoulders as though she was trying to comfort her.

Trying to gather as much information as possible about prachi she peppered her with questions and alternating it with false sympathy. She quickly found about how she knew milind etc without giving anything away from her side. Prachi who was an innocent did not know how people like Mallika operated. By the time it was over and sympathies were exchanged Mallika had ferreted out all the necessary information that she needed.After their fifteen minute conversation Mallika had found the entire history of Prachi Shah.

Prachi meanwhile was reeling hearing the fact that Mallika was Milind's fiance. Her hopes, her dreams, her love…everything was shattered hearing that Milind and Mallika were engaged. She tried to end the conversation and leave but Mallika was talking to her and Prachi couldn't leave the place without being rude to her. So, she stood there and answered Mallika's questions patiently even though her heart was breaking into a million pieces inside.

"Mallika, Could you please do me a favor?" Prachi asked pleadingly as she tried to string her thoughts together. "Sure! I will do anything to help you and I am sorry that you are hurt..." Mallika once again put in all the false sympathy she could show for prachi.

"Can you tell Milind that I am quitting my job and that I will not be in the office from tomorrow" Prachi asked looking at the ground not able to meet Mallika's face as guilt overrode her emotions. Prachi couldn't believe that Mallika so understanding of the woman who had basically slept with her fianc. But then Mallika was from a different society altogether where everything like this was acceptable.

"I will definitely convey it to him. Please don't think any of this to heart and do move on in life. I am sure there is definitely somebody waiting for you..." Mallika said in a tone which made prachi believe that Mallika really cared about her. But little did she know that Mallika was a conniving witch who'd had her eyes set on Milind for a long time and had been trying to get his attention all this time.

Milind was pacing in his hospital room waiting for Mallika to come back with Prachi. He would have left the room if Mallika hadn't stopped him and told him that she will get Prachi back for him. It had been nearly 30 minutes and there was no whiff of them coming back. He was loosing his patience and was about to pull the drip apart and go looking for Prachi when Mallika walked in.

"Mallika, Where is prachi??" Milind asked sitting up in his bed.

"Milind,Woh..Woh…." Mallika bend her head as though she was worried about passing the news about what Prachi had told her.

"Tum…Kyun..Woh..Woh….Keh rahi hai....Batao…Where is Prachi????..." Milind asked incensed that Mallika was not telling him what happened.

"Woh...Milind... Prachi left and she said that she did not want to see your face ever again…" Mallika walked towards the bed and sat down next to Milind as though consoling him…"I am sorry, Milind. I tried to stop her and explain but She told me that you have no importance in her life and that to her you are no one.. … I tried explaining to her that you love her and that you wanted her to be part of your life but she said that she has someone else waiting for her and she wanted to get married to this person…"

"NO! She cannot to do this to me… I am not going to let her leave me…" Milind ranted as he tried to strip the drip from his hands and leave the room.

Mallika looked on as Milind's face contorted as he flinched with pain. He could feel the pain shooting and coursing through his body from the sudden movement. He wished that he was not lying in this bed right now but was convincing prachi to love him as he loved her. "I LOVED HER! DAMMIT!" that thought for the first time filtered through him. "HE LOVED HER! LOVED HER!" Giving up his futile struggle he laid down on the bed as she looked and Mallika and said "I love her….I love her…"

Mallika immediately changed her expression and with false sympathy and walked towards the bed and sat besides him. Taking his palm in her hands and holding it in her closed wrists she promised him that she would get prachi back to him at all costs. After listening to Milind rant about how sweet and innocent prachi was and how much he loved her Mallika was not getting a huge headache.

Convincing Milind that he will get his prachi had been a Herculean task for her. After promising Milind repeatedly that she would find prachi and bring her to him she was about to take a leave when an idea struck her mind…

She picked up her bag and was about to leave and with a huge smile on her a face as though the idea had just struck her she turned around and came to Milind… "Milind, I have an idea why don't I surprise her with a party…"

Milind looked at her askance…."Mallika, Prachi does not like parties…" he said eyes hooded as though preaching to a child. "We'll make it your engagement party" Mallika suggested and Milind sat up with a smile.

After making Milind agree with it she left the hospital for the next good deed of the day. She went to Milind's office knowing the Prachi might be there clearing her desk.

Exactly as Mallika had thought Prachi was cleaning up her desk..."Prachi…" hearing the voice prachi stood startled hearing her name being called out yet again. Before turning around her shaky hands wiped the tears that were evident on her eyelids and cheeks. The pain though did not go away when she finally turned around to face Mallika.

Mallika's face looked haggard and sorrowful as she looked at Prachi. "Prachi, I am really sorry but I had to pass this message along from Milind to you…"

"Hmmm…" that's all prachi could muster as she half heartedly tried to listen to Mallika…

"Prachi, Milind is really sorry for what he did to you. He just thought of you like one of his girlfriends. He is really sorry…he wants you to come and attend our engagement which he would consider as your acceptance…but prachi….I need ..I need…i don't know how to ask you this…" Mallika asked wringing her hand as tears streamed down her eyes.

Prachi's heart immediately softened as she walked towards Mallika and tried to console her. "Mallika, you can ask me anything…Tell me what you need…"

Mallika wiped her tears and looked at prachi with a cunningness that prachi was innocent to decipher. "Milind is really feeling guilty that you were upset and he thinks that you are in love with him even though he is not…. Please…Please…don't mistake me when I am asking you to do this…but it would help us move on with our lives if you forgive him…."

Prachi heart winced hearing that…Did Milind really think of her as just one of his conquests…as she thought that Mallika's next sentence confirmed it… "Prachi could you…please tell Milind that you are marrying someone next week and you are moving on with your life…that way Milind will be guilt free and he will be able to move on in his life with me as well…" Mallika asked looking at Prachi from the corner of her eyes as false tears trickled down her cheeks.

Prachi's eyes closed as she felt her heart breaking into a million pieces…but she knew that she would do this for Mallika sake.

Mallika immediately took prachi's hands in hers and thanked her profusely as she left the building leaving prachi to her ponderings.

It was almost a week before prachi found the courage to face Milind in the hospital again. Milind was sitting up in bed and adjusting his pillows to have a comfortable position when he heard the door open.

Prachi had pondered for the last two days on how she was going to break the tie with Milind when she came up with a plausible solution.

"May I come in…" Prachi asked making sure that her voice never wavered in front of him. She needed all her reserves to go through this in front of him.

"Prachi…Tum….Come in…" Milind said with a smile on his face. He was very happy that Mallika had convinced prachi to come back. He slowly got up from the bed and walked towards her trying to take her palms in his hands.

Prachi flinched as tried to pull her hands away from him. She knew that he had still not seen her attire completely. Prachi was dressed in a delicate red sari and her hair was left open as tendrils flew across her cheeks. But the most important thing of all was that she had a mangalsutra tied around her neck and there was streak of red kumkum on her forehead.

"Milind, mera haath choidyae" saying she took her hands from his and walked farther away from him. Milind had been blind sighted when he had seen her now that he had taken a few seconds to calm his senses he took in her profile. As his eyes traveled down her frame the change in her had him fuming with fury.

"Prachi….." he walked across to her in brisk strides and anger as he took the mangalsutra in his hands and asked "what natak is all this…" he asked as he dropped it from his hands as thought it burnt him.

"Milind..yeh koi natak nahi hai… maine shaadi kar liya hai…" Prachi said as she wrung her hands hoping that he would not ask her any questions.

"Tune Neev ke saath shaadi…." He asked confused and angry at the thought of his best friend marrying her. His fists hit the wall as his anger tried

"NO…how could I marry him…how could I…." After a pause, she continued on. "One of my mother's friend's sons lives in Dubai and works there. Last week he had come down to India and since he had seen me a few years before he told his mom that he wanted to marry me. Everything happened all of a sudden even Neev doesn't know about it and my family is dreading breaking it to Neev…." Prachi's take was that she had already lied why not cover all her bases as she calmly recited the story she had thought about in way of explanation.

Prachi very well knew that Mallika did not know that she was engaged to Neev. Prachi did not want to use Neev in such a callous way so she decided to conjure up a person who did not even exist. She had already talked to her family and had made them relent to moving to a different neighborhood and renting their own home for Soumya's education.

Prachi had told them that she had found another job and that they needed to move house in order to make her commute easier and they had relented as always.

"How could you do this Prachi?? How could you!! Knowing what I feel for you…?. How could you…. I asked Mallika to come and talk to you…..and this is the answer that I get! I hate you, Prachi…I hate you….."

"Actually you know what Milind…I don't care… I am happy that I am moving on with my life…So, should you…. Looks like Mallika is what you need in your life…?" Prachi said with as much nonchalance as she could muster as her heart broke inside at her attitude towards this one man she loved...

Milind straightened up to his full height and red haze surrounded him as he looked at the new being who stood in front of him… With anger and hatred that he had never felt towards anybody he answered her. "YES! She is what I need…and you better get out of my vision before I do something irrecoverable….."

"JUST GET OUT! And If I ever see you again prachi believe me you will not want to live again." with that he turned around, fists clenched as he waited for the click of the door.

Prachi saw his back for the final time as she walked across the room to the door. Her eyes would not move away from his back…Tears streamed down her cheeks as said a silent goodbye and left the hospital and his life forever…